Sabudana( Tapioca Pearls) Khichadi

Sabudana Khichadi or Tapioca Pearls Mix is a favourite of those in Maharashtra. It is a powerhouse of Carbs and Proteins and is usually eaten during fasting periods. It can be called as a complete meal and keeps you feeling full the whole day when you are on a fast. And it can be very addictive…so let’s get started….

Ingredients

1)Sabudana or Tapioca Pearls – 500 gms – washed and soaked for 5 hours. Pls note the level of water poured to soak the sabudana should be equal to the level of sabudana…no excess water. You may also keep soaking in stages until the sabudana is slightly hard to bite.You can add the salt to the sabudana while soaking.

2) Roasted groundnuts with skin – 250 gms – I prefer with skin since it gives a darker colour to the dish. You may use it without skin too.

3) Green Chillies – 2 nos

4) Coriander leaves – One handful

5) Jeera or Cumin seeds – 3 tsp

6) red Chilli powder – 1 tsp

7) Oil – Any Vegetable oil – 3 tsp

8) You may also add small cubes of boiled potatoes to the mixture if you want to. I prefer it plain.

In a grinder whip the roasted groundnuts so that they are coarsely ground. It is good to have intermittent pieces of whole nuts in the mix. Now mix this thoroughly by hand with the soaked sabudana .

In a Kadai or a Wok…pour the oil and put the jeera seeds in it. When the Jeera seeds start sputtering add the chillies and lightly mix it ..then add the above mix of sabudana and groundnuts in stages while putting coriander leaves in between. Turn the flame to low. Once you have put the entire mix in a wok then add a spoon of chillipowder and stir it up. The chilli powder gives a colour to the Khichadi. You may avoid it if you want to. Now sprinkle a little water on the mix and cover it and allow it to cook on a low flame. Keep sifting the mix in the kadai to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Check for salt and if needed add more at this stage. The sabudana is said to be cooked when they start turning transluscent . Even if the sabudanas turn partially transluschent you can turn of the flame and allow it to sit for some time. Serve hot with sweetened curd or have it plain.